Have you heard? The war in Iraq is over! Pretty much. The humans are out—but the big robot eyes in the sky are going to stick around. Hey—here's a perfectly symbolic video!

This MQ-1 Predator drone was breezing over the enormous convoy that scooted out of Iraq over the weekend. The Pentagon calls it "the beginning of a new phase in the U.S.'s relationship with Iraq," which is true. But it also marks the transition from man to machine—UAVs will continue to patrol the skies of Iraq and its neighbors, quietly doing work either impossible or too unpopular for us fleshly creatures. Indefinitely. The drone is ascendant. [USAF via Danger Room]